The house was too quiet.
I held the pilfered papers to my chest, my thudding heart pounding against my ears. The air inside James' house was never airy, but this evening it was thick.
I moved slowly, my bare feet making no sound on the chill marble. Each step was measured, and each breath was considered. I had rehearsed this moment for too long, prepared for every contingency.
But this I never thought of.
I arrived at the front door.
No alarms. No guards.
It was too easy.
I rattled the handle with my quivering hand. I expected an attack, a struggle, a pursuit. There was silence instead.
And that's when I knew.
I was in trouble.
"Did you always enjoy making grand entrances," someone drawled behind me.
Ice filled my veins.
I rotated slowly.
James stood at the head of the grand s
